Abstract:
Plant population density is one of the most important yield contributory factors that can be
manipulated to attain maximum production per unit area. Two experiments were conducted on
farmer's farm in Gashua, Yobe state in semi-arid environment of Nigeria to assess the effect of
plant population density of guna melon on yield performance of guna melon - pear millet
intercrop in 2017 and 2018 cropping seasons. A randomized complete block design (RCBD)
with three treatments made up of three population densities of guna melon (6,000; 11,000 and
15,700 plants/hectare) in a fixed population density of 133,000 plants/hectare of pearl millet. The
inter-row and intra-row spacing for pearl millet was 75cm x 30cm while the spacing for guna
melon were 180cm x 180cm, 100cm x 180cm and 85cm x 150cm at 2:1 cropping ratio of pearl
millet to guna melon. Results revealed that in 2017 the vegetative parameters were significantly
(p < 0.05) higher in sole pearl millet at 133,000 plants/ha (SM1) but were inconsistent for the
different population densities of guna melon in 2018. Grain yield was superior for sole pearl
millet at 133,000 plants/ha (SM1) with values of 2230 kg/ha and 2839.0 kg/ha in 2017 and 2018,
respectively. Highest seed yield of 3937.0 kg/ha and 3783.0 kg/ha for sole guna melon (SG1) and
superior seed yield of 1410.0 kg/ha and 1617. 0 kg/ha for intercropped guna melon (M1G1) were
recorded at a low population density of 6,000 plants/ha in 2017 and 2018 seasons when
compared to other treatments. |
